Card-storing cabinet



April 22, 1958 I PAPE CARD-STORING CABINET.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 26, 1954 April 22, 1958 pApE CARD-STORINGCABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1954 April 22, 1958 pApECARD-STORING CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 26, 1954 April 22, 1958H. PAPE 2,831,742

CARD-STORING CABINET Filed Nov. 26, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United StatesPatent 2,831,742 CARD-STORING CABINET Hessel Pape, Amsterdam,Netherlands Application November 26, 1954, Serial No. 471,440 4 Claims.(Cl. 312-187) This invention relates generally to card-filing equipmentand more particularly to a card-storing cabinet with rotary basketswhich are selectively and automatically rendered dischargeable and areadapted to move along a stationary closed track. The invention alsorelates to means of automatically securing the cards from dropping out.A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple flaparrangement on the baskets to prevent the cards from dropping out fromsaid baskets when they are in an inverted position.

In the rotary filing equipment hitherto known .the cards have beenprevented from dropping out by use of means for locking the cards in amanner such that on the cards being released means for locking therotary shaft from rotation automatically come into action.

The file construction according to the present invention ischaracterized by means for retaining the file cards in positionconstituted by one or more flaps or valves pivoted on the upper edge ofthe leading and trailing end of each card basket and commanded oractuated by members in the form of abutments, guides or similar membersof the card-storing cabinet.

According to the invention these abutments, guides or similar membersmay be arranged at a selected point on the card-storing cabinet and maybe formed in such shape that the flaps or valves are moved into and outof the locking position a short time before or a short time after thecard baskets are about to occupy an inverted position or a non-invertedposition of readiness for use respectively along the rotatable track.

In preferred embodiments of the invention the flaps or valves arecoupled by means of a lever-system. The flaps or the lever-systemcomprising at least one element which during the displacement of thebaskets along the track comes into engagement with the members of thecard-storing cabinet, that effect the movement of the two flaps.

In another embodiment of the invention the leversystem may comprise acircular disk having secured to its circumference, at two points, twolevers which in turn are each rotatably connected to one of the flaps ora part rigidly connected thereto.

During the movement of the card baskets along the track, elements of aflap engage with an abutment, a guide or similar member of thecard-storing cabinet, with the result that this flap and also the other,since the flaps are coupled through the lever-stystem are closed.

In addition, according to the invention the lever-system may beconstructed as a T-shaped lever whose limbs are arranged in line witheach other and are each pivotally linked at their ends to a lever. Theselatter levers are in turn each pivotally connected to one of the flapsor a part rigidly connected thereto, the third limb of the T-shapedlever carries a roller or similar element which during the movement ofthe card baskets engages an abutment, a guide or similar member of thecard storing cabinet thus actuating the flaps to a closed position.

According to the invention it is therefore ensured that the cards .areautomatically held in the baskets at the Fig. 1 is a fragmentary partlysectional side-elevation.

view of the card-storing cabinet according to a first embodiment inaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a part sectional view taken on the line II--II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the operating mechanism of the cardbaskets for the rotary movement thereof on a rotatable track.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a card basket, the flaps shown occupying thenon-locking position.

Fig. 5 is aside view of the card basket of Fig. 4, the flaps occupyingthe locking or card holding position.

Fig. 6 is a part plan view of the card basket of Figs. 4 and 5 with theflaps occupying the locking position.

Fig. 7 is a part side elevation view of the card-storing cabinetaccording to a second embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a part sectional view taken on the line VIII- VIII of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a side view of another embodiment of a card basket, the flapsoccupying the non-locking position being open to allow insertion andremoval of cards.

Fig. '10 is a side view of the card basket of Fig. 9, the flapsoccupying the locking position.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view of the card basket of Figs. 9 and 10,the flaps occupying the locking position. g

The two constructions shown in the drawings, wherein similar elementshave the same reference numbers, two shafts 1 and 2 (Figs. 1, 3 and 7)each carrying opposite gear wheels 24 and 25 (Figs. 2, 3 and 8)journalled in a support member 3 (Figs. 1 and 7) which rests on thefloor.

In Fig. 3, a chain 4 passes over wheels 1 and 2. The cabinet is providedwith two wheels 24, two wheels 25 and two chains 4. Two baskets 5 areillustrated in Fig. 3 it being understood that many baskets are placedthere on. They are secured in usual manner to the chains 4.

The shaft 1 or the shaft 2 is actuated by a gear wheel or electricallydriven by means not shown. Each basket 5 is supported by means ofbearings 6, one of which is shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 and 9, 1O, 11respectively, the basket also comprises one or two bearings on its otherside guided on the guide 7 (Figs. 1 and 2 or 7 and 8 respectively) andwhen the baskets are in the inverted position the baskets bearings areguided on the guide 8. The guides 7 and 8 are secured to the supportmeans.

Two fiaps 15 and 16 are pivotally connected to the basket 5 leading andtrailing ends at 19 and 20, with 17 and 18 designating edges of the saidbasket 5. The flaps 15 and 16 are pivotally connected (Figs. 4 and 5) atC1 and C2 respectively to levers 13 and 14 respectively. These leversare pivotally connected at their other ends at B1 and B2 respectively toan element 12 to be described hereinafter. in the files upright parallelto the direction of travel of the basket files (Figs. 6 and 11). Aspring 22 normally biases the flaps to a lowered position rendering thefiles ready for use. A guide 23 also secured to support 3 by means notshown cooperates in guiding the basket files.

In addition, the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6 is constructed asfollows: each of the valves 15 and 16 has mounted thereon two elements10 and 11, which may The cards are disposedare locked or held inposition.

be .ball bearings. A circular disk 12 is pivoted at A on is secured tothe basket at Eand also to the disk 12 tending to rotate disk 12clockwise so .as .to raise flaps 15 and 16. It will be understood thatsuch -a coupling and flap actuating mechanism is provided on either sideof each basket.

The device operates as follows:

Upon rotation of the shaft 1 or 2 the chains 4 are rotationally driven:they carry with them the baskets 5 .5, which successively occupy theposition shown in Fig. 3,

the element 11 (or '10) engages the guide 23 with the result that theflap 16 is closed and through the coupling mechanism the flap 15 is alsoclosed so that the.cards While following the movement of the chains 4about the chain wheel 24, along the straight underside span and aboutthe chain wheel 25, with the baskets being supported on the guide 8, theflaps fixed in this closed position until the baskets individuallyrcoccupy the upright position of readiness for use. By this time theflaps are opened automatically due to the fact that the spring '22causes the disk 12 to rotate clockwise thus actuating the levers 13 and14 and hence also the flaps 15 and 16 into an upright position.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 7 to 11 is additionally constructed asfollows: A

Two guides 9 and 26 (Figs. 7 and 8) are secured to the pedestal andconstitute a guide for a rollar 27. The

.roller 27 is linked at D (Figs. 9, and ll) to a T- shaped lever 28which is pivoted at A to a shaft secured to the basket. The T-shapedlever 28 is linked at B1 and B2 to the levers 13 and 14. The spring 22is connected at E to the basket 5 and also to the T-shaped lever 28.

The device operates as follows:

Similarly to the first embodiment the chains 4 are driven by rotation ofthe shaft 1 or 2, carrying with them the baskets 5 which thus pass overthe guide 7 by means of their bearings 6. A roller 27 of the baskets 5,which individually occupy the position shown in Fig. 3, pass over theguide 9 and on approaching the vertical plane (Fig. 7) passing throughthe shaft 1 or the shaft 2 is raised (compare Fig. 10 with Fig. 9) andthe transmission mechanism 28, 13 or 28, 14 respectively actuates theflaps 15 and 16 with the result that the cards are locked in position.While following along with the movement of the chains about thechain-wheel 24, along the straight underside span and about thechainwheel 25, the basket resting on the guide 8, the flaps remain fixedin this position until the basket has reached the upright ornon-inverted position of readiness for use. By this time the flaps willbe opened automatically due to the fact that the roller 27 will movedownwardly since the spring 22 constantly urges it downwardly by actingon lever 28.

If the mechanism should become deranged the flaps will never occupy thenon-locking position untimely since in such a case the guide 23 is asafety-guide along which the flaps will trail if breakage should occurso that the trailing will prevent the fiaps from occupying the raised ornon-locking position.

In addition it is to be noted that in both embodiments the cards arearranged perpendicularly on the direction of movement of the files. Itis highly essential that it should be possible for the capacity of astoring cabinet to be adjusted entirely as required. The cabinet is madeup of three parts: the right-hand one, a left-hand one and a middlepart. The capacity can be controlled entirely at will be using only adifferent middle part, and different chains.

The invention is especially applicable to a card-storing cabinet inwhich the card cases or files are mounted along the circumference of acircle on a rotary shaft.

4- What I claim is: 1. A card-storing cabinet comprising, basket files,an endless rotatable track carrying said basket files; said basketshaving a leading and a trailing end, flaps one each of said ends, saidflaps extending the entire width of said baskets so that cards filedlongitudinally in said baskets are retained in position in said basketswhen said flaps are in an operative position and when said baskets arecarried along by rotating said endless track and are inverted while sobeing carried, guides to retain said baskets on said track; other guidesto engage and actuate said flaps and maintain them in a closed positionwhile said baskets are in an inverted position; said flaps extendingsubstantially upright on said ends so that they may be engaged andactuated by said other guides; linkage means comprising a rotativemember having linked to it at two spaced points two levers eachpivotally connected to one of the flaps and arranged so that uponengagement and actuation of the flap on said leading end so as to closeit said-flap on the trailing end is closed simultaneously, and resilientmeans to return said flaps to a substantially upright position when thebaskets are no longer in engagement with said other guides.

2. A card-storing cabinet comprising, basket files for filing cardstherein, an endless rotatable track carrying said baskets files,said'basket files having a leading and a trailing end with the top open,flaps pivotally mounted on the edge of each of said leading and trailingends adjacent the open top, .saidfiaps being operable between a raisedposition and a lowered position extending in a direction inwardly of:the basket files and overlying said cards thereby to retain in positionthecards in said baskets when said baskets are carried along by saidendless track and are in an inverted position while so being carried,said flaps forming extensions of said ends across the entire width ofsaid basket files when in said raised position, means on each basketfile constantly biasing said flaps to a raised position and means forautomatically and simultaneously operating the flaps of individualbasket files between the raised and lowered positions when moved along.by said track including means arranged to allow said biasing means toraise said flaps automatically when said individual basket files are ina selected non-inverted position thereby rendering individual filebaskets ready to receive cards when in said selected non-invertedpoistion.

3. A card-storing cabinet comprising, basket files for filingcardstherein disposed with their longitudinal dimension in the directionof travel of said basket files, an endless rotatable track carrying saidbasket files, said basket files having a leading and a trailing end withthe top open, flaps pivotally mounted on the edge of each of saidleading and trailing ends adjacent the open top, said flaps beingoperable between a raised position and a lowered position extending in adirection inwardly of the basket files and overlying at least the endsof said cards thereby to retain in position the cards in said basketswhen said baskets are carried along by said endless track and are in aninverted position while so being carried, said flaps forming extensionsof said ends across the entire width of said basket files when in saidraised position, means on each basket file constantly biasing said flapsto a raised position and means for automatically and simultaneouslyoperating the flaps of individual basket files between the raised andlowered positions when moved along by said track including meansarranged to allow said biasing means to raise said flaps automaticallywhen individual basket files are in a selected non-inverted positionthereby rendering individual file baskets ready to receive cards when insaid selected non-inverted position.

4. A card-storing cabinet comprising, basket files for storing cardstherein, said cards being disposed upright in the files and parallel tothe direction of travel of said basket files, an endless rotatable trackcarrying said basket files, said basket files having a leading and atrailing end with the top open, flaps pivotally mounted on the edge ofeach of said leading and trailing ends adjacent the open top, said flapsbeing operable between a raised position and a lowered positionextending in a direction inwardly of the basket files and overlying saidcards thereby to retain in position the cards in said baskets when saidbaskets are carried along by said endless track and are in an invertedposition while so being carried, said flaps forming extensions of saidends across the entire width of said basket files when in said raisedpoistion, means on each basket file constantly biasing said flaps to araised position and means for automatically and simultaneously operatingthe flaps of individual basket files between the raised and loweredpositions when moved along by said track including guide means arrangedto allow said biasing means to raise said flaps automatically whenindividual basket files are in a selected non-inverted position therebyrendering individual filebaskets ready to receive cards when in saidselected non-inverted position and arranged to successively engage theflap in the leading end of individual file baskets and operate them to alowered position prior to being inverted when carried along on saidendless track.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS856,862 Greenawalt June 11, 1907 1,475,555 Sargeant Nov. 27, 19232,343,280 Cory Mar. 7, 1944 2,447,253 Jonas Aug. 17, 1948 2,477,786Bruen Aug. 2, 1949

